BRUSSELS — The European Union has entered a state of diplomatic emergency.
Ambassadors from the 27 member states were summoned to an extraordinary Sunday afternoon summit in Brussels today, tasked with forging a unified response to President Donald Trump’s bombshell threat to levy massive tariffs on European allies. The emergency talks, convened by the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council, come after the U.S. President vowed to impose an initial 10 percent import tax—potentially rising to 25 percent—on any country that opposes his administration’s “complete and total” acquisition of Greenland.
The atmosphere in the European capital is one of cold defiance. In a joint statement ahead of the meeting, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President António Costa warned that the proposed levies would “undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.”
The ‘Arctic Sentry’ Trigger
The catalyst for the President’s ultimatum appears to be Operation Arctic Endurance, a Danish-led security mission in Greenland that includes personnel from France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland.
Trump characterized the deployment of these “liaison” and security forces as a “very dangerous game” that threatens American national security. On Saturday evening, he used his Truth Social platform to issue a deadline: starting February 1, the eight participating nations will face a 10 percent tariff on “any and all goods sent to the United States.” If no deal to purchase Greenland is reached by June 1, those tariffs will balloon to 25 percent.
“This is not about security; this is about territory,” one senior EU diplomat said on the way into the meeting. “He is attempting to use the American consumer as a battering ram against the sovereignty of a NATO ally.”
A Continent United in ‘Outrage’
While the President’s threat specifically named eight countries, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson insisted that the move is an “EU matter” that demands a collective defense. The sentiment across European capitals has shifted from disbelief to open confrontation:
- France: President Emmanuel Macron slammed the threats as “unacceptable,” declaring that “no intimidation or threat will influence us—neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland.”
- The United Kingdom: Prime Minister Keir Starmer labeled the tariffs “completely wrong,” stating that applying taxes on allies for pursuing collective security is a violation of the NATO spirit.
- The EU Core: High Representative Kaja Kallas warned that the only beneficiaries of this internal rift are “China and Russia,” who she said must be having “a field day” watching the alliance fracture.
The Economic ‘Nuclear Option’
The ambassadors in Brussels today are reportedly weighing the use of the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, a powerful legal tool designed to allow the bloc to retaliate against “economic blackmail” with its own targeted tariffs and restrictions on market access.
There is also growing pressure within the European Parliament to immediately halt work on the EU-US trade pact agreed upon last summer. German industry leaders, particularly in the automotive sector, have warned that a 25 percent tariff would be “catastrophic,” but have signaled they would prefer a strategic, coordinated response from Brussels over a series of individual national surrenders.
The Sovereignty Line
Despite the economic stakes, the message from the “Hands Off Greenland” protests currently sweeping Copenhagen and Nuuk is clear: sovereignty is not for sale. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen expressed “surprise” at the escalation, noting that talks with Vice President JD Vance earlier this week had been “constructive” before the President’s pivot.
As the emergency meeting continues into the evening, the world’s largest trading bloc is preparing for a trade war that few expected but all must now face. If the EU confirms a coordinated counter-tariff package tonight, the transatlantic relationship—already strained by the “Venezuela Reset”—may be heading toward its most significant rupture in the post-WWII era.